A significant problem associated with the removal of nitric oxide (NO) from a flue-gas stream with a wet scrubber is the oxidation of NO to nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In particular, the crux of the problem with the capture of NO is its limited solubility, which requires oxidation to NO2. Current processes for reducing NOx, emissions from fossil-fired power plants are the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Non-Selective Catalytic Reduction (NCSR) processes. The disadvantages of the SCR and the NSCR processes are their high maintenance, capital and operating cost.
In an effort to overcome the problems associated with conventional SCR and NSCR processes, and the difficulty scrubbing NO with the process developed by the applicant and a fellow inventor (U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,783, issued Mar. 21, 2000 to Lueck et al.). The applicant came up with a process for decomposing hydrogen peroxide to oxidize the NO in flue gases to NO2, which may then be removed from the gas stream by the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,783.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below that will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternative methods and apparatus for removing nitric oxide from gaseous streams.